Lateral corticospinal tract
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Dinesh Palipana had no recorded disclosures.
View Dinesh Palipana's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Rohit Sharma had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Rohit Sharma's current disclosuresThe lateral corticospinal tract is formed at the level of the of the medullary pyramids when the majority (90%) of descending corticospinal tract fibres decussate. The remaining 10% do not decussate and form the much smaller anterior corticospinal tract. A few non-decussated fibres may enter the lateral corticospinal tract 1,2.
The lateral corticospinal tract descends along the lateral funicular and then lies anterolateral to the dorsal horn. As it descends it deviates to the dorsolateral surface of the spinal cord, with individual fibres leaving the tract to synapse with grey matter motor neurones within the ventral horns. As more fibres leave the corticospinal tract commensurately diminishes in size. At approximately the fourth sacral level, it terminates entirely.
Function
The lateral corticospinal tract mostly mediates fine-motor movement of the upper and lower limbs 3.
Related pathology
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Standring S. Gray's anatomy. Elsevier. ISBN:0808923714. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:0702033944. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. John Mendoza, Anne Foundas. Clinical Neuroanatomy. ISBN: 9780387366005
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